Technology

Viewsroom: Venezuela’s downward spiral

3 Aug 2017

Questionable elections for a rubber-stamping new assembly may give President Nicolas Maduro more power. But the country’s people, economy - and some U.S. companies - will suffer. Also: Sprint, under a ton of debt yet overvalued, weighs up its M&A options.

Silicon Valley tries to out-Trump Trump on jobs

2 Aug 2017

Amazon is adding 50,000 to its ranks. Google is donating $50 mln to training. Touting such plans is a response to fears that tech will, like trade, be blamed for killing jobs as automation and AI take hold. Aping the president’s braggadocio to reduce any sting is a smart move.

Search engine IPO depends on Tencent for results

2 Aug 2017

China’s Sogou is planning a U.S. listing valuing it at up to $5 bln. The firm is a distant second in mobile search behind Baidu. Sogou, or “search dog”, will have to work like one to convince investors its relationship with part-owner Tencent can justify that valuation.

Apple profit, rumors and hype climb together

1 Aug 2017

Ten years after the first iPhone, hype over the $780 bln tech giant’s next model is rising on whispers from suppliers and developers. CEO Tim Cook racked up $8.7 bln more profit in the past quarter. Absent other blockbuster devices, though, it’s the next reveal that matters more.

Right now, Tesla is more than ever a carmaker

1 Aug 2017

A name change, buying SolarCity and a bet in Australia are all part of CEO Elon Musk rebranding his $50 bln creation as an energy company. But SolarCity bosses have left and virtually all income is from autos. Tesla’s future rests on making the new Model 3 a mass-market success.

Cox: Snap’s IPO may benefit investors after all

1 Aug 2017

Multiple share classes will be banned from the influential S&P 500 Index, after the disappearing-message app's disastrous debut rankled fund managers. Though one-share-one-vote violators like Facebook will be grandfathered in, the decision could help end a long era of feudalism.

Online giants can learn a lesson from Wall Street

1 Aug 2017

Some U.S. lawmakers want to make Facebook, Google and other internet firms liable for things users publish on their networks. There are also calls for more oversight. Big banks drew similar scrutiny after the crisis. Their experience shows Silicon Valley how to avoid a crackdown.

Sony is turning from financial wimp into superhero

1 Aug 2017

Strong quarterly results underline a long turnaround. This will be a boom year for gaming and image sensors, while handset and TV-making have been pruned. Even Sony Pictures, co-producer of the new Spider-Man, is perking up. Shame this hero still looks like a corporate mutant.

Apple sets course for China policy minefield

31 Jul 2017

The U.S. tech giant has minted money in China for years thanks to the iPhone. But slowing sales are forcing it to turn to cloud and payment services. This puts Apple squarely in the sights of the hostile regulators and local rivals that helped drive off Facebook and Uber.

Baidu rebound buys time for reinvention

28 Jul 2017

Quarterly earnings leapt more than 80 pct at the $70 bln Chinese web giant. That shows the core search business is recovering after a nasty run-in with Beijing last year. This gives Baidu more room to focus on the future, chiefly its mobile offering and artificial intelligence.

Amazon rides open road with few bumps

27 Jul 2017

The $500 bln internet retailer reported another riveting quarter of top-line growth. Investors will fret about the sky-high valuation and reduced profit, but feedback loops within the company keep rivals at bay. Governments may one day intervene, but that reckoning is far off.

Viewsroom: Citi lays out path to mediocrity

27 Jul 2017

CEO Mike Corbat pledged a huge earnings boost at the bank’s first investor confab in nine years. But Citi’s enduring crisis hangover will still leave it trailing most rivals. In China, HNA’s shadowy ownership may be a big problem for U.S. M&A. Plus: Google keeps clicking.

Nintendo shows mastery of multi-platform game

27 Jul 2017

The Japanese videogames giant beat forecasts, sending its shares higher. The new Switch console is a hit, while Nintendo is also getting the hang of mobile games and using characters like Super Mario offline. Now the only real drag is that the company hoards so much cash.

Facebook quest beyond ads should top itinerary

26 Jul 2017

The social network beat profit estimates as more brands sought to reach its 2 bln users. Yet revenue growth is easing and mobile’s dominant share of advertising has limited upside. For a company near the top of its game, it’s a good time to explore alternatives to Madison Avenue.

SEC brings dodgy digital-currency sales to earth

26 Jul 2017

The U.S. watchdog says 2016’s biggest so-called initial coin offering was a securities issue that didn’t comply with the law. That will crimp a market that has boomed to $1.3 bln so far this year. A crackdown will test whether it’s worth the trouble of making ICOs legitimate.

Bolloré’s grand media plan for Vivendi takes shape

25 Jul 2017

The French group’s TV arm has proposed a joint venture with Telecom Italia to buy content rights. Building a media network that is able to compete with U.S. giants may trim Vivendi’s conglomerate discount. Vincent Bolloré will have to find more synergies to close the gap further.

Alphabet opacity hinders Google’s antitrust fight

24 Jul 2017

Despite huge efforts outside online search the $685 bln juggernaut still looks like a one-trick pony dependent on ad sales. Shedding more light on its autonomous vehicle, YouTube, biotech and other ventures might comfort investors about the looming risks of antitrust regulation.

Fintech faithful put payments on a pedestal

24 Jul 2017

Shares in relative newbies Square and PayPal as well as older outfits Visa and First Data are near all-time highs. Privately held Stripe has teamed up with Alipay and WeChat. Along with Amazon, Apple and others, they’re chasing a $2.3 trln business. They can’t all be winners.

Grab rides two trends to $6 bln valuation

24 Jul 2017

The taxi app is raising $2.5 bln in Southeast Asia’s biggest fundraising. It helps that Japan’s SoftBank is investing in unicorns everywhere and that Didi, like China's other tech giants, is chasing growth nearby. The funds will make it harder for Uber to conquer the region.

Toshiba’s Swiss cast-off pits hope over experience

21 Jul 2017

The stricken Japanese group is flogging loss-making Landis+Gyr in a Zurich offering. The maker of smart meters is a technology leader in a growth market. Yet so far financial performance lags engineering expertise. The $2.4 billion price tag depends on a swift turnaround.